Eternal Spring was dismissed by bookmakers as a serious contender for the Vodafone Derby after winning the first of the recognised trials at Epsom today.
The Victor Chandler Blue Riband Trial Stakes was won last year by the subsequent Derby runner-up Daliapour but a quote of 40-1 from the Tote for the Classic on June 10th suggests that Eternal Spring is not up to the required class.
Ed Dunlop's colt, who had finished second to Distant Music on his debut as a juvenile, made most of the running under Kieren Fallon and, having been headed, battled back to beat Modish by three lengths.
Certainly Dunlop, whose only previous Derby runner was the unplaced Zaajer last year, was not talking up the claims of Eternal Spring, whose next outing could be the Dee Stakes at Chester.
"It's a long time to go before we start talking about the Derby," said Dunlop. "He was very high in the handicap and he'd been a bit disappointing and so we took a chance on coming here, as it is a 20-grand race."
That Eternal Spring faced only four rivals in the contest was not lost on Dunlop who added: "You would have to say that it is a disappointing turn out.
"They call it a trial but not many trainers will want to risk running a horse at Epsom twice. They might encourage trainers to run if they gave the race Listed status."
Night Venture had only two rivals behind him racing into Tattenham Corner in the Victor Chandler City And Suburban Stakes, but he ploughed through the heavy ground to score by a length from Captain's Log.
Richard Hills, riding the 20-1 shot for his father Barry, said: "He just stayed on. Nothing's going to get a turn of foot through that. It's very, very soft. He's strengthened up a lot since last year."
Abbajabba will bid for a hat-trick at Hamilton a week on Sunday after winning the Victor Chandler Stakes.
Chris Fairhurst's Middleham raider revelled in the conditions, being ridden out by Joe Fanning to beat Carlton by a length.
Fairhurst said: "Barrys Gamble was trained by my father to win the Windsor Castle and he wanted it like a road and his dam is by Strong Gale and they like it fast, so where his liking for soft ground comes from I don't know.
"He's just matured, settled down and is doing the job right. We always thought he was a good horse and he'll go to Hamilton for a #10,000 Class C handicap on Sunday week."
Zilarator found the boggy conditions tailor-made when landing the Stanley Racing Great Metropolitan Stakes.
Richard Quinn's mount asserted in the final furlong and scored by one and a half lengths from the arguably unlucky Blue Style, who had been hemmed in against the stands' rail in the final quarter mile.
Monticristo, who had been unlucky when runner-up in the race 12 months ago, had no excuses this time, and was only a short head further back in third.
Zilarator's trainer William Haggas said: "He's an awkward horse to train. He's temperamental and we'll just fiddle our way with him. He likes cut in the ground and he had some good form this time last year."
